Samsung lifts 2026 capex 60% to record 84.4 trillion won

Samsung Electronics expects to spend about 84.4 trillion won on facilities in 2026, the largest capital spending plan in its history. The company gave the forecast on October 29 alongside third-quarter results. The figure is 31.7 trillion won higher than in 2025, an increase of about 60% from 52.7 trillion won, Seoul Economic Daily reported. Samsung's earnings release puts 76.8 trillion won of the total toward the Device Solutions chip division and 3.9 trillion won toward Samsung Display.en.sedaily.com+1

The plan follows a quarter in which Samsung became the first global tech company to report more than 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit. Its chip business earned almost all of that amount, and memory supply is expected to stay tight for years.

Where the money goes

Chip division spending is set to rise by 29.3 trillion won from 2025, and display spending by 1.1 trillion won, according to the earnings call. Third-quarter capex alone was 29 trillion won, up 19.8 trillion won from a year earlier. Spending for the first nine months reached 56.9 trillion won. The memory business will put money into new fab infrastructure to meet AI demand, and the foundry business will focus on its fab in Taylor, Texas, The Herald Business reported.mbiz.heraldcorp.com+1

Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Samsung has moved the start of operations at Pyeongtaek Plant 5, which will make advanced memory, up by two years to 2028. The paper also said the first cleanroom at Taylor is running and equipment has started to arrive there. The previous capex record was about 54 trillion won, set in 2024, the paper noted. Counting roughly 26 trillion won in research and development, Samsung plans to invest about 110 trillion won in future growth this year, Seoul Economic Daily said.mk.co.kr+1

Record quarter powers spending

Samsung reported third-quarter operating profit of 107.44 trillion won, up 783.1% from a year earlier, on revenue of 195.25 trillion won, Yonhap reported. The chip business earned 106.5 trillion won, or 99.1% of the total. Revenue from HBM4 chips more than tripled from the previous quarter.en.yna.co.kr

"All HBM supply for 2027 has sold out, and requests for additional supply continue to come in," said Kim Jae-jun, who heads memory strategic marketing, according to Maeil Business. The company expects AI infrastructure investment to speed up in 2027 and memory supply to tighten further, CNBC reported.cnbc.com+1

Weak spots remain

The record results did not lift the stock: Samsung shares fell after the release, CNBC reported. Rising memory prices have also hurt Samsung's own consumer products. Its device experience division, which makes phones and appliances, lost 800 billion won, Yonhap reported. It was the division's second loss in a row. Samsung also announced a 30 trillion won third-quarter dividend. Rival SK hynix ↘ 7.95% reported its own record profit one day earlier.en.yna.co.kr+1